Reproductive cloning is the production of a genetic duplicate of an existing organism. A human clone would be a genetic copy of an existing person.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is the most common cloning technique. SCNT involves putting the nucleus of a body cell into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed. This produces a clonal embryo, which is triggered to begin developing with chemicals or electricity. Placing this cloned embryo into the uterus of a female animal and bringing it to term creates a clone, with genes identical to those of the animal from which the original body cell was taken.

Some oppose reproductive cloning because of safety considerations. Animal cloning is seldom successful, and many scientists believe that reproductive cloning can never be made safe. Human reproductive cloning would also threaten the psychological well-being of cloned children, open the door to more powerful genetic manipulation technologies, and raise other social and ethical concerns.

Babies from Two Bio-Dads?by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesRecent research on human germ cells has revived speculation about the possible uses of artificial gametes.

The Genome's Big Data Problemby Joseph Cox, Mother BoardJune 4th, 2014Serious concerns around genetic data need to be handled before we all jump on the genome band wagon. How will the data be stored? Who will be able to access it? What security will be in place?

Stem Cell Revival: The 1990s are BackNew ScientistApril 30th, 2014More than 17 years later, what worked in Dolly the sheep finally appears to be working in humans. But after endless hope, hype and failure, it is hard to feel there is anything brave or new in this line of research.

Neanderthals Are People, Tooby Svante Paabo, The New York TimesApril 24th, 2014Ancient genomes show that the Neanderthals were genetically very similar to us. In a civilized society, we would never create a human being in order to satisfy scientific curiosity; why would it be different for a Neanderthal?

The Mammoth Comethby Nathaniel Rich, The New York TimesFebruary 27th, 2014Bringing extinct animals back to life is really happening — and it’s going to be very, very cool. Unless it ends up being very, very bad.

Are STAP Stem Cells a Paradigm Changer? Hopes and Fearsby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 6th, 2014Two papers published in Nature on January 30 describe a new and remarkably simple technique for generating cells that can, like embryonic stem cells, develop into many different kinds of cells.

DNA Dreamingby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 13th, 2014A new documentary looks at the Chinese company that styles itself "the world’s largest genomics organization,” and its hunt for the genetic basis of intelligence.

The Clone Named Dollyby Nicholas Wade, The New York TimesOctober 14th, 2013This week’s Retro Report video tells the story of Dolly the sheep. The Scottish scientists who created her recall the painstaking process of trying to get the experiment to work.

Time for the US to Ban Human Reproductive Cloningby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJune 12th, 2013A major fertility clinic reacted to the recent research cloning paper by speculating that human reproductive cloning may be on the way — demonstrating the need for the United States to join the dozens of countries that already prohibit it.

Cloning for Stem Cells: Controversy, Againby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesMay 30th, 2013Errors have been found and acknowledged in the recent paper on the creation of stem cells through cloning – a reminder that questions about the utility and risks of research cloning go deeper than “careless” duplication of images.

Back to the Future: Cloning Human Stem Cells [VIDEO]Al JazeeraMay 17th, 2013Three commentators, including a scientist who previously supported research cloning, agree that the availability of less controversial alternatives for producing disease-specific and patient-specific stem cells makes this approach unnecessary.

Cloning-Derived Stem Cells Raise Policy Questionsby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesMay 16th, 2013Yesterday’s announcement that stem cells have been derived from cloned human embryos set off a media flurry, but important questions about reproductive cloning and women’s health were not widely addressed.

Cloning, Stem Cells Long Mired In Legislative Gridlock[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Julie Rovner, NPRMay 16th, 2013The news that U.S. scientists have successfully cloned a human embryo seems almost certain to rekindle a political fight that has raged, on and off, since the announcement of the creation of Dolly the sheep in 1997.

Scientists Create Human Stem Cells Through Cloningby Sharon Begley, ReutersMay 15th, 2013After more than 15 years of failures by scientists around the world and one outright fraud, biologists have finally created human stem cells by the same technique that produced Dolly the cloned sheep.

Neo Neanderthal[With CGS's Pete Shanks]by Alyona Minkovski, HuffPost LiveJanuary 25th, 2013A leading geneticist at Harvard Medical School says he can clone a Neanderthal and resurrect the extinct species. What are the ethical issues, risks and benefits?

Human Cloning 'Within 50 Years'by Nick Collins, The Telegraph (UK)December 18th, 2012Parents who lose children in accidents may be able to clone "copies" to replace them within 50 years, a British scientist who won this year's Nobel prize for medicine has predicted.

Clones and Cloud Atlasby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesNovember 13th, 2012Of the many characters in Cloud Atlas that explore what it means to be human, the most eloquent is a genetically engineered clone.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Germline Engineeringby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesOctober 16th, 2012Japanese researchers have created mice by using sperm and eggs grown from induced pluripotent stem cells, a development that could bring human germline engineering much closer.

The Reunion - Dolly the Sheepby Sue MacGregor, BBCSeptember 24th, 2012Five people involved in creating Dolly discuss the impact of their breakthrough in a radio interview.

First Cloned Pet Turns 10by Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 15th, 2012The first cloned cat was announced 10 years ago this week, but her birth did not herald a successful industry.

A New Push for Human Cloning in Koreaby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 20th, 2012Korean Professor Park Se-pill has confidently announced his intention to clone human embryos and derive stem cells from them, and is even willing to discuss human reproductive cloning.

How to Use $90? Buy a Gene Ring, or Burn for Warmth?by Doug Pet, Biopolitical TimesDecember 8th, 2011ConnectMyDNA is marketing the “Gene Ring,” which it baselessly claims can reveal your genetic compatibility to other Gene Ring purchasers, and your ties to foreign countries.

60 Minutes on “Resurrecting the Extinct”by Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesJune 2nd, 201060 Minutes re-aired a story about using cloning techniques to resurrect extinct animals like the mammoth and to save endangered species.

Fiction in Scienceby Pete Shanks, Biopolitical TimesMay 7th, 2010The journal Science cheapens its coverage of an important paper by including speculation, which it refutes, about the cloning of Neanderthals.

Cloning in the Blogosphere by Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesApril 28th, 2010A discussion of reproductive cloning among prominent economics and political blogs was instigated by one writer's overt narcissism.

Monkeys, Mitochondria, and the Human Germline by Jesse Reynolds, Bioethics ForumSeptember 18th, 2009The researchers into radically novel techniques display an alarmingly casual attitude toward risks to the potential children born, the difficulties and dangers of obtaining the large numbers of the required women's eggs, and the potentially dire social consequences of human inheritable genetic modification.

Suze Orman Approves Dog Cloning. Reluctantly.by Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesJune 2nd, 2009Orman’s niche is to use plain-spoken common sense to berate people into saving money, investing conservatively, and living within their means. Which is why she had such a hard time with a call-in viewer who wanted to spend $100,000 on cloning his dog.

Obama on stem cell policy changeby Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesMarch 10th, 2009Yesterday's removal of restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research by President Obama was both big and welcome news, and not just because the restrictions were unpopular and unduly restrictive.

And the Band Played Onby Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesJanuary 3rd, 2009In this time of economic recession, many companies selling luxury goods are having a hard time making the case to consumers that their services are still worthy of premium prices. The pet cloning company BioArts has tried to maintain interest in its service – which can run tens of thousands of dollars per cloned animal – through working the media.

Public Opinion, Here and Abroad by Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesDecember 22nd, 2008In the last few days, two interesting public opinion polls on stem cell research, cloning, and related topics were released.

Will the UN revisit cloning?by Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesOctober 29th, 2008How are recent developments affecting a potential revival of a United Nations effort towards an international prohibition against cloning?

The Strange Saga of "Bernann" McKinneyby Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesAugust 14th, 2008The story of the first happy customer of RNL Bio's new pet dog cloning service is almost too outlandish to mock. But while cloning certainly seems to attract more than its share of eccentrics, a dismissal is inappropriate.

Dog Cloning and Intellectual Propertyby Marcy Darnovsky and Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesJune 5th, 2008In the minor flurry of stories last month about an on-line auction of dog cloning services, the issue of intellectual property was completely overlooked. That’s too bad, since the cloning business, like so many others, is best understood by following the money.

Toward Jurassic Parkby Lynda Hurst, The StarMay 31st, 2008The genetic footprints of the most threatened species are now being collected by the world's first DNA bank dedicated exclusively to endangered animals.

A Day Late and a Dollar Shortby Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesFebruary 22nd, 2008A question following the largest beef recall in American history: Why on earth has the FDA approved meat produced by cloning?

The New York Times’ New Hitmanby Osagie Obasogie, Biopolitical TimesDecember 5th, 2007John Tierney has been writing for the New York Times for quite a while. But his most recent beat has entailed covering science and technology, where he has drunken the biohype kool-aid that’s apparently on tap at the Times’ watercooler.

Human Cloning Isn’t Monkey Businessby Osagie K. Obasogie, Genetic CrossroadsNovember 29th, 2007Rarely have science, politics, and international diplomacy converged as intensely as they have over the past few days.

Dolly creator Prof Ian Wilmut shuns cloningby Roger Highfield, UK TelegraphNovember 16th, 2007Prof Ian Wilmut's decision to turn his back on "therapeutic cloning", just days after US researchers announced a breakthrough in the cloning of primates, will send shockwaves through the scientific establishment.

Monkey Cloning Raises Troubling Questions Unconnected to the Status of EmbryosLegislation is needed to prohibit reproductive cloning and reduce risks to women who provide eggs
November 15th, 2007The apparent monkey cloning success at the Oregon National Primate Research Center gives new urgency to important social and safety issues raised by cloning-based stem cell research using human tissues, said the Center for Genetics and Society, a public interest organization.

The Trouble with Tissuesby Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesNovember 30th, 2006It's not surprising that, according to a recent poll, people are concerned that personal tissue samples could be used for cloning, the derivation of stem cell lines, or the development profitable products without the donor sharing in the rewards.

O Brave New World? No thanks.by Jesse Reynolds, Biopolitical TimesNovember 9th, 2006The popular science blogger Pharyngula not only defends the proposal in the UK to use cow eggs in research cloning, but calls for the resulting mostly-human clonal embryo to be implanted and brought to term - in a cow's uterus.

Book reviews: Stem cells, enhancement and cloningGenetic CrossroadsAugust 4th, 2006Genetic Crossroads reviews Stem Cell Wars (Eve Herold), Challenging Nature: The Clash of Science and Spirituality at the New Frontiers of Life (Lee M. Silver), and After Dolly: The Uses and Misuses of Human Cloning (Ian Wilmut and Roger Highfield)

How cloning stacks up[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]by Gregory Lamb, Christian Science MonitorJuly 18th, 2006Ten years after Dolly the sheep, more than a dozen other species have been cloned - but not humans. What might the next decade bring?

The United Nations Human Cloning Treaty Debate, 2000-2005June 1st, 2006In December 2001 the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution proposed by France and Germany calling on the UN to initiate a process intended to lead to a binding treaty banning human reproductive cloning.

Stem Cell Cautionby Richard Hayes, Tom PaineMay 24th, 2006"I'm worried because in their over-the-top enthusiasm for stem cell and cloning research, Democrats are ignoring the many ways in which it could, if irresponsibly promoted and inadequately regulated, have consequences at odds with core Democratic values."

Other International Bodies and CloningA summary of policies and statements on reproductive and research cloning by the leadership of the European Union, World Health Organization, and the Group of Eight.

Governing Biotechnologyby George Annas, Global Agenda MagazineFebruary 13th, 2006"Developments in biotechnology have made possible species-changing and even species-endangering procedures, says George Annas. We urgently need a global governance structure to regulate them."

Key Stem Cell Researcher VanishesThe Chosun IlboDecember 1st, 2005"With one of the core members of Seoul National University professor Hwang Woo-suk's research team stationed at the University of Pittsburgh disappearing, emergency alert has been initiated because of fears of a possible leak of stem cell technology. "

United Nations calls for Bans on Human CloningGenetic CrossroadsMarch 31st, 2005On Tuesday, March 8, after four years of debate, the United Nations General Assembly voted on a declaration calling for bans on the creation of clonal human embryos for research, as well as on reproductive cloning.

U.N. Divided: Human Clone BanAssociated PressMarch 8th, 2005After four years of talks, the UN General Assembly passed a nonbinding resolution calling on member states to ban all forms of human cloning. A treaty was previously abandoned due to division over whether the ban should include research cloning.

UN Talks Seek Compromise on Human Cloning Banby Irwin Arieff, ReutersFebruary 13th, 2005"U.N. diplomats, deadlocked for years over the drafting of treaty to ban the cloning of human beings worldwide, open negotiations on Monday on an alternative that would instead urge each government to adopt its own laws on human cloning."

Italy offers compromise on cloningAssociated PressNovember 18th, 2004"Italy has offered a compromise on human cloning that seeks common ground among U.N. member states who are sharply divided over competing treaties to ban the practice, diplomats said."

UN Nears Showdown on Pact to Ban Stem Cell Studyby Irwin Arieff, ReutersNovember 11th, 2004"Talks at the United Nations appear to have failed to avert a new U.N. confrontation over a U.S.-led drive to ban all cloning of human embryos including for stem cell research, diplomats said on Thursday."

U.N. Split on Human Cloning Banby Colum Lynch, Washington PostOctober 22nd, 2004"Britain, Japan, South Korea, India and scores of other close U.S. allies sought to head off the Bush administration's campaign to seek a global ban on all forms of human cloning, saying it would undercut scientific efforts to develop cures..."

S. Korea Backs [Delaying] U.N. Meeting on Stem Cell Researchby Irwin Arieff, ReutersOctober 19th, 2004"South Korea said on Tuesday it asked the United States to accept another year's delay in the drafting of a divisive treaty banning human cloning to allow time for a U.N. conference on the pros and cons of embryonic stem cell research."

UN considers cloning - againby Stephen Pincock, The ScientistOctober 13th, 2004"The United Nations (UN) is due to revisit the vexed issue of an international convention against reproductive cloning next week, and observers are expecting more of the wrangling that has bedeviled the subject in the past."

English Lab Ready to Clone Embryos for Stem Cellsby Stephen S. Hall, New York TimesOctober 12th, 2004This profile of the lab in the UK which will be conducting that nation's first research cloning experiments notes, among other things, that the UK does not intend to abide by any international convention prohibiting research cloning.

Discussing the ethics of altering human genesby Charles Burress, San Francisco ChronicleSeptember 30th, 2004At an event sponsored by the UC Berkeley Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism, CGS's Marcy Darnovsky and author Bill McKibben spoke to an overflow crowd about the challenges of the new human genetic technologies and California's Prop 71.

Brazil delays GM crops and cloning billby Luisa Massarani, SciDev.NetSeptember 24th, 2004A bill that would regulate a range of biological procudes, including cloning, has been delayed. The original bill would ban human cloning and all embryonic stem cell research. A proposed alternative would allow the research with IVF embryos.

Reported Efforts to Clone Human BeingsJuly 29th, 2004The Raelians' December 2002 claim that they had created the first human clone won them the headlines they wanted, but when it became clear that it wasturned out to be a hoax, the media lost interest. Later claims, by them and others, drew very little attention and were almost certainly just as fanciful. Nevertheless, activities intended to lead to the birth of a human clone as well as efforts to build public acceptance of reproductive cloning are underway.

Human Cloning and Genetic TechnologyThe Global Challenge to Social Justice, Human Rights and the EnvironmentFebruary 25th, 2003The Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Center for Genetics and Society, and the Worldwatch Institute presented a briefing and discussion in Washington.

The Weapons of Mass CreationAre we ready for genetically enhanced 'designer people'? If so, who will make the titanic decisions involved?by Caroline S. Wagner, Los Angleles TimesFebruary 13th, 2003

Break the Cloning Deadlockby Richard Hayes, Christian Science MonitorJune 10th, 2002After a year of intense debate, the US Senate is set to vote on human cloning. Is there a way to break this deadlock? Yes, but it will require of both sides a realization of what is at stake and a willingness to compromise.

It's worth copying Canada's model for cloning legislationby Richard Hayes, Seattle TimesJune 3rd, 2002The United States should take the Canadian experience to heart. A broad and informed debate is essential if we are to realize the best and avoid the worst that the new genetic technologies have to offer. We cannot afford to do less on a matter of such consequence.

A Timeout on Cloning Embryosby Richard Hayes, Baltimore SunApril 23rd, 2002The U.S. Senate is set to vote on human cloning within the next few weeks. Unfortunately, a polarized political climate and lack of political leadership could block urgently needed legislation.

Nucleus of the debateCall a timeout on cloning embryos for researchby Richard Hayes, San Francisco ChronicleApril 17th, 2002Human Cloning will soon be voted on by the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, a polarized political climate and lack of political leadership could block urgently needed legislation.

Liberal Anti-Cloners Up to Batby Kristen Philipkoski, WiredMarch 19th, 2002A group of self-proclaimed liberal, pro-choice leaders held a press conference Tuesday to influence the Senate's votes on an anti-cloning bill.

A Real "Brave New World"What Human Genetic Engineers Plan for Your Futureby Mark Gabrish Conlan, Zenger's NewsmagazineJune 27th, 2001Opponents of human genetic engineering spoke forcefully at a workshop at San Diego City College June 24 as part of the Biojustice/Beyond Biodevastation V event.

Designer Peopleby Sally Deneen, E MagazineThe Human Genetic Blueprint Has Been Drafted, Offering Both Perils and Opportunities for the Environment. The Big Question: Are We Changing the Nature of Nature?

Failure to Pass Federal Cloning legislation, 1997-2003There are no United States federal statutes against cloning. Congress failed to pass legislation in the 1997-98 session. In 2001 the House of Representatives passed a bill to ban both reproductive and research cloning, which President Bush indicated he would sign. The Senate tabled the legislation and a vote was never taken.

Protecting the Endangered Human [PDF]Toward an International Treaty Prohibiting Cloning and Inheritable Alterationsby George Annas, Lori Andrews, and Rosario Isasi, American Journal of Law & Medicine, 28 (2002):151-178